


only in my dreams

by izumida



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Arguing, Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, Oblivious, azuma's cuddle therapy, gghghfgfhg gay ppl, help me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:15:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26950504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/izumida/pseuds/izumida
Summary: “Tsumugi. He’s doing a night tutoring sesh, and I guess his ride left without him or something,” Azuma explained, waving his phone and offering an apologetic smile. “He needs a lift. I should be back fairly soon, if the traffic isn’t too terrible. Stay put.”After the older actor stepped into a pair of shoes and slipped out of the room, Juza and Banri were left in a stunned, unsure silence. Banri’s stare lingered on the door where Azuma left— he wasn’t at all stupid. Motherfucker.Or: Juza and Banri won't stop fighting, but Azuma has a solution.
Relationships: Hyoudou Juuza/Settsu Banri
Comments: 6
Kudos: 108





	only in my dreams

“Oi, Settsu, you take the last pudding cup?”

It was an afternoon that started out like any other; the two high schoolers crossed paths for a second time that day as Banri returned from school after Juza. The first, of course, was in the morning, but they were too drowsy for anything beyond annoyed grumbling. Juza sat on one of the common area’s couches, scowling behind a notebook filled with scribbled history notes as he waited for the other’s return. He would be getting an earful.

“Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t,” Banri responded coolly, shrugging off his jacket as he closed the door behind him. The smirk that crept onto his face made Juza’s eyes narrow with anger. He knew it. It took an exorbitant amount of energy and self control to hold himself in place, as much as he wanted to spring up and get in his face. “Chocolate’s my favorite flavor, y’know. Couldn’t resist.”

“You—” Juza gritted his teeth, slamming his schoolwork onto the coffee table. “You know damn well those are mine. I was savin’ that for lunch today.”

Banri narrowed his eyes. “And? Omi bought those, not you, dumbass. They’re for everyone.” The brunette set his bag down beside a stool as he walked past it, going to a cabinet for a glass to fill with water. “Besides, you should be thankful. Your sweet tooth’s gonna blow up that stupid brain of yours soon.” His chest burned with the familiar thrill he felt from bickering with his roommate. Yeah, maybe he woke up half an hour earlier to snag that dessert, and maybe his steps were springy with excitement when he did it. It wasn’t like he did it for Juza’s attention, or anything; no, it was just fun to mess with him.

Juza was losing his patience. He pushed himself off the couch, approaching the kitchen counter with clenching fists and narrowed eyes. “Whaddya say to me, asshole?”

The other turned, setting down the glass of water in his hand. His bright eyes searched the other’s golden ones, intense and scathing. “What, ya wanna fight me over a pudding cup? Thought that wasn’t your thing, Hyodo. Maybe that brain wasn’t there to begin with.”

That response only made Juza see red. He raised a fist threateningly, grinding his teeth harder with irritation. Naturally, their escalating voices attracted other members of the company to the main room to see the commotion. A couple flocked by the doorway, another close behind the arguing duo. Neither of them would be thrilled to find out that a blond, older man was among these spectators, but they surely would as soon as things erupted.

“Boys,” Sakyo warned, his voice merely a growl. Neither high schooler heard the voice, both too caught up in their storms of emotion to acknowledge their surroundings. This wasn’t uncommon; they often had to be torn away from each other to finally stop brawling. Juza stomped to the other side of the counter, no longer holding himself back. He grabbed Banri by the collar of his shirt and yanked it threateningly.

“Fucker, you’ll pay,” Juza hissed, glaring directly into the other’s challenging eyes. Despite the circumstance, Banri could feel his cheeks tint with pink at the sudden closeness that Juza seemed oblivious to. With a yelp, the teen shoved Juza off roughly, earning a shove of his own in response. He took a hold of the purple haired boy’s shoulders and pushed him back against the fridge with a loud clanking noise. Juza seethed, headbutting him with as much force as possible. Banri would have swung for real if not for the interference of their senior troupe mate.

“I said enough!” Sakyo spat, shoving the two actors apart. They had been deaf to another shouted warning, and it took him prying Banri away to get them to stop. Juza gulped, watching as steam practically poured from Sakyo’s ears— finally coming down from his spike of anger, he knew the two of them were in deep shit. Banri still tried to wriggle from his grip, worked up like a provoked dog. “What, are you toddlers?”

“He started it,” Banri stated flatly. “The stupid daikon is angry because I took a dessert—”

That riled Juza up again, and it took a shove from Sakyo to keep him in place. “Asshole did it on purpose, he should know better.”

“I don’t care. You two need to get along. You’re high schoolers, not children.” He gave each of them a pointed glare before sighing, putting his fingers to his temple. “Handcuffs didn’t work, cleaning duty didn’t work. What, am I gonna have to put you guys on leashes?”

A gentle hand rested its touch on Sakyo’s shoulder, a lithe figure standing beside him. “I think I have a solution,” Azuma’s smooth voice introduced itself. The silver-haired man had been observing from aside, chuckling to himself at the interaction. “They can spend a night together with me. I’ve dealt with stuff like this a lot; it works like a charm.” The suggestion floated in the air for a moment, both teens stunned with silence.

“Nuh uh. No way in hell,” Banri declared, crossing his arms. “I’d rather another month of cleaning duty than a night sleeping next to him.” The reality of Azuma’s suggestion only hit Juza then, at the implication of them in a shared bed. He stiffened in his spot uncomfortably, cheeks coloring slightly.

Banri’s resistance on its own seemed to make up Sakyo’s mind. “You don’t have a choice,” Sakyo said simply. “Do as Azuma says, or I’m pulling you from the next show. Both of you.”

“You can’t do that.” The sandy brown-haired student objected, sneering into Sakyo’s face. “I’m irreplaceable. You won’t have time to find a backfill, and you’ll ruin the show.”

“Watch me,” Sakyo threatened with all the intensity of a yakuza. Juza shivered. He watched as Banri and Sakyo had their stare-off, anticipating Banri breaking first. Of course that happened— it always did. Banri let out a frustrated sigh, running both of his hands through his locks.

“Whatever.” Now completely ignoring his water, Banri stormed off in the direction of his dorm. He brushed past Omi and Taichi, both of whom lingered in the hallway to watch the punishment be dealt. Not once did he look back at Juza, who was left there bewildered and awkwardly surrounded, cheeks tinged pink once again as he envisioned the coming night. Suddenly overwhelmed with all eyes on him, the boy broke away from the crowd and into the cool autumn air outside.

Azuma smiled softly, knowingly. He knew of how Banri would be pacing the dorm room, brows furrowed and face reddened as he worked through the scenario in his head; he knew of how Juza was sitting on a bench trying to calm his thumping heartbeat. Of course, he would be stupid to not notice the lingering eye contact or the excuses to grab and pull at each other. The ending they both secretly craved was now finally within reach.

—

“This is my side, so don’t come near it.” Banri plopped his pillows and blanket down on the right side of Azuma’s mattress, expression still clearly bothered. He avoided eye contact with the others as he sat on the edge of the bed and crossed his arms. “Can’t believe we actually have to do this.”

Azuma only hummed to himself, readjusting his own belongings so that he’d be positioned in the center of the bed. A mediator, you could say. Juza was silent on the other side of the room, holding his own sleeping materials to his chest. He took in the unfamiliar room around him— the obsidian night sky was cloaked with drawn silk curtains, a gentle blue atop white walls. The space was very tidy, just as he would’ve expected from Azuma. Averting his eyes from the bed and the people on it, Juza placed his stuff down and slowly clambered onto it.

Wordlessly, the light flickered off, and a heavy silence hung over the trio. Banri shifted uneasily in his spot. A weird anxiety flared up in his chest at the lack of conversation or instruction. He felt increasingly restless with each passing moment, and a quick glance to the side showed that Juza felt similarly. Their eyes only met briefly before darting away, tracing other parts of the room to pass the time. What was even the point of this? It was just more tense than before; surely it would only make things worse between them

Azuma, thankfully, had the ability to read the atmosphere and just how antsy it had become. “You know, the whole reason people come to me for help is to cuddle. And, er.. This certainly isn’t helping either of you.” He sat up a little, leaning back on his elbows as he glanced at each of them.

“Nope, not doing that,” Banri interjected. Just the idea of that close proximity made his chest feel numb for some reason. He took a deep breath, turning on his side to hide the reaction that he hoped wasn’t obvious. No, he didn’t want to cuddle with anyone.

Azuma directed his attention to Juza, tilting his head as if expecting an answer from him as well. The candy lover suddenly took a lot of interest in the wall instead of meeting his gaze. He felt awkward as hell, sure, but he didn’t really have the heart to decline. If he did, Sakyo’d definitely hear about it, and he’d make sure he and Banri never heard the end of it.

“Sure,” he mumbled faintly. On the other side of the bed, Banri’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. The fuck?

Azuma offered a polite smile, shuffling back down so his head rested on his pillow. Juza swallowed. He had never been a very touchy person, let alone somebody who people cuddled with. His relationship experience was zero— the teen couldn’t understand people like Muku who were obsessed with romance, so he never sought it out. He never even got to discover how it felt and he was far too oblivious to try. Juza extended an arm apprehensively, letting Azuma embrace him. He tried his hardest not to tense up or shove him away, but it took a lot of mental effort to be still. Exhaling softly, he relaxed his body.

Banri listened to the sound of scuffling and felt the shifting of the mattress from the other side. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to ignore the way his heart twisted and pounded in his ears. The envy burned his face and his chest, despite him denying the feeling entirely. How could it be? He didn’t want to cuddle with Azuma; he said no, and he meant it. So then why did he feel that way? He couldn’t pinpoint the feeling, but it made him upset and nauseous and fuzzy and suddenly very, very alone.

He turned ever so slightly, eyeing the other two cautiously. Banri knew all too well what he would see, but it stung nonetheless. Azuma and Juza were intertwined in a gentle embrace, arms resting on each other’s backs as they rose and fell with each breath. Sickening. He felt blood roar in his ears and the feeling swallowed him completely— overwhelming, sickening jealousy. Why would someone want to hold Juza like that? Banri could feel his heart sinking deeper into his chest.

Juza’s face appeared above Azuma’s shoulder as he rested the side of his face atop the other’s. Banri’s heart stopped, the boy holding his breath at the unexpected eye contact. Shit. Juza’s golden eyes were unreadable but strangely...soft? The way his expression turned from nervous to concerned made the brunette’s heart do a backflip in his chest. His own sapphire ones were vulnerable and unprepared under Juza’s gaze. Juza wasn’t sure why, but he felt a strange feeling of guilt and self-consciousness wash over him in Azuma’s grip. They both broke the eye contact of their own accord, both feeling strangely embarrassed.

A loud buzzing noise from the bedside table cut the rigid air in half as the screen of a cell phone illuminated the dark room behind Banri. Pulling away from Juza, Azuma rolled off of the bed and picked up his phone in one swift motion. The two teenagers watched uneasily as he squinted at the bright surface, reading a line of text and sighing.

“Tsumugi. He’s doing a night tutoring sesh, and I guess his ride left without him or something,” Azuma explained, waving his phone and offering an apologetic smile. “He needs a lift. I should be back fairly soon, if the traffic isn’t too terrible. Stay put.”

After the older actor stepped into a pair of shoes and slipped out of the room, Juza and Banri were left in a stunned, unsure silence. Banri’s stare lingered on the door where Azuma left— he wasn’t at all stupid. Motherfucker.

A few moments passed before Banri finally slumped back down into his spot, pulling his blanket up to his chin. His face burned with a mixture of emotions he couldn’t quite figure out, but he sure as hell knew he didn’t want Juza to see. As dense as the other guy was, of course he had to look at him with his big stupid golden eyes and figure out that something was up.

“Settsu..? Are you feeling alright?” Juza inquired, his voice hushed. His purple head of hair tilted to one side quizzically as he scooched a bit closer to get a better look. Cute. Banri scowled, pulling the material over his head entirely to hide his scarlet cheeks. The thought made him want to slap himself in the face. His roommate was nowhere near “cute.”

“Yes, I’m fine!” He didn’t really mean to raise his voice, but the response came off as a defensive yell. Banri covered his own mouth with his hand in surprise, his mind racing far faster than he could process. Juza frowned.

“No, you’re not. Your face is all red. Have a fever?” He pulled at the blanket to reveal the other’s face— more flushed than ever and almost teary-eyed. It was only then that Juza became aware of just how close they were. If he leaned forward another couple inches, their foreheads would be touching. His confused eyes widened at the sight of the disheveled and flustered brunette who froze in place as he was discovered

“I… I, um… ggghh,” Banri groaned, covering his face with both of his palms. Tears threatened to spill from the corners of his eyes, very much against his will. Why? He didn’t know how to deal with the sudden awareness of his emotions, especially since the source was centimeters away. The whole Azuma thing obviously didn’t mean anything— it was his job —but the realization of his pent up feelings over the months was too overwhelming to bear with.

Banri took a shallow breath, and this time Juza was the one who froze. Did he do something wrong? Juza blinked a couple of times, unsure of what to do. The teen hesitated before instinctively wrapping his arm around Banri and pulling him toward his chest. Banri stiffened in his embrace and Juza panicked, retreating slightly. He fucked up.

Before he could let go completely, Banri turned and dove into his indigo-haired roommate in a quick, clumsy motion. Juza caught him in his arms and wrapped them around him, first unsurely but then tightly, heart pounding in his throat. All of his worries, fears, tensions— they were all stamped down and replaced by a warm, fulfilled feeling that coursed through his entire body. He wanted to hold Banri close and feel his breaths steadying as he drifted off to sleep; he wanted to rub his back and hold his hands and wrap his jacket around him when it was chilly enough to see each other’s breath. Juza could finally acknowledge this feeling, the feeling that thrilled him when his skin touched Banri’s when they fought, the feeling that melted his insides when he watched Banri’s passion bloom before his eyes— the feeling that made him rosy pink and tingly and strange for reasons unknown before, the feeling that became apparent when he saw Banri crack and he felt hurt and crumbly for him. Banri let the feeling wash over him at last, no longer embarrassed or nervous that it was hopeless; he felt at peace with the way his heart danced when his gaze met Juza’s and when Juza grabbed his collar and when Juza poured his heart out into acting. It was all so fuzzy but suddenly clear as day.

Banri buried his face in the space between Juza’s neck and shoulder, overcome with warmth and an irrepressible feeling of joy. Warm, safe, and drowsy in Juza’s arms, he began to doze off, Juza close behind. Arms locked around each other gently and lovingly, Banri and Juza slept soundly.

**Author's Note:**

> mentally i am ill


End file.
